Rocket spindle

Perhaps one of the most ambitious devices is the rocket wheel, which consists of two wheels, each up to one metre in diameter. These are arranged to spin horizontally, rather than vertically, on a specially designed spindle that holds the wheels one above the other, about one metre apart and at a suitable height above the ground. 

Figure 24. Details of Construction of Rocket and of Other Pieces, Audot, 1818. The rocket case, already crimped or constricted, is placed upon the spindle (broche) the first portion of the propelling charge is introduced and pounded firmly into place by means of a mallet and the longest of the drifts pictured in the upper right-hand corner another portion of the charge is introduced, a shorter drift is used for tamping it, and so on until the case is charged as shown at the extreme left. A tourbillion (table rocket or artichoke) and a mine charged with serpents of fire are also shown.

An average model for a t lb. rocket is given in (Fig. 30) with a conespoiuling aet of ramming tools in (Fig. 31). The spindle is one half aChtal size while die ramming tools are one third adtual size. 

Rocket sizes are usually described in ounces and pounds. This is a relic from the past when the 4-oz rocket, for example, had an internal diameter that would just admit a lead ball weighing 4 oz. Weingart and others sug st that the American system uses the same descriptions but has different sizes. The literature gives compositions for different sizes of rockets, but this is quite useless unless the size of the spindle and other details are disclosed. 

Revolving pieces are turned by fiercely burningThe tube is similar to that of a rocket with a suitable choke made by constricting the tube or using a clay washer, but the composition is charged solid and has no central spindle. Small triangles are turned with tubes about... 

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